Ryan calls Scandrick a ‘star’: No wonder Jimmy thinks Garrett is running a country club

The Cowboys bristle at former coach Jimmy Johnson saying there is a “country club” atmosphere at Valley Ranch and that everybody is “buddies.”

They can bristle all they want, but comments like the one that defensive coordinator Rob Ryan made about Orlando Scandrick on Friday lend credence to Johnson’s claim.

Ryan told reporters in Irving that the cornerback’s crucial missed tackle during crunch time in last weekend’s 19-13 loss at Atlanta was out of character for him because he is having a “star” year.

“I think Orlando has been fantastic, as good as there is, a star,” Ryan said, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “It’s unfortunate, obviously, that he missed the tackle. We’re counting on him to make that play. I know he’s disappointed. That’s out of character for him. He blew somebody up on the same coverage earlier in the game– and a bigger receiver.

“Orlando can make that play. He knows it. He’s been a tremendous player for us.”

While I won’t dispute that Scandrick is having a solid year, the guy is not a “star.” Far, far from it, in fact.

And what is wrong with just saying something like, “Orlando is having a good year, but you know what? He flat-out has got to make those kind of tackles,” end of story?

Instead, Ryan went in the opposite direction, ignoring that the missed tackle against Jacquizz Rogers on third down essentially helped the Falcons win the game. Trailing 16-13, the Cowboys were desperately trying to get the ball back. But, thanks in part to Scandrick’s miscue, Atlanta took five minutes off the clock and netted a field goal, giving the ball back to Dallas will all of 17 seconds left on the clock.

“This is this league,” Ryan said. “People can break tackles. You don’t want to see it. That hasn’t happened much to us, as much as the teams that I watch on tape –they miss them all over the damn place. We don’t miss them that often. But, hell, they’re great players, too, over there. They’re undefeated for a reason.”

And there’s also a reason – very good ones – why Johnson called Valley Ranch a country club. Johnson advised Garrett, Ryan and Co. to put some fear into the players. Judging by Ryan’s comments about Scandrick, they weren’t listening to the two-time Super Bowl champ.